Constitution Day: Discussing Constitution Annotated

This Sunday, September 17th marks Constitution Day, an annual observance celebrating the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787. 

Since Constitution Day is coming up, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to spotlight the Constitution Annotated website. Constitution Annotated is “the only constitutional law treatise formally authorized by federal law.” 

Their aim is to help those researching the law by providing interpretations of the Constitution, along with annotations connecting the researcher to Supreme Court caselaw. They also define historical practices for articles and amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

One way to navigate the site is by exploring the Browse Explanations page, which presents an outline of available resources including Articles of the Constitution and Amendments to the Constitution. The Resources page can also be a helpful place to start. It provides quick access to several useful tables, such as Table of Cases and Table of Supreme Court Decisions Overruled by Subsequent Decisions.

As a way to modernize and improve ease of use, the Congressional Research Services (CRS) has implemented a research guide to help users navigate and understand the Constitution Annotated and its contents. This guide takes users step by step through the format, features, and functions of the website, with pictures as an aid.

Visit constitution.congress.gov and start researching with the Constitution Annotated!